Willow Biosciences Inc (TSX:WLLW, OTCQB:CANSF) said it has appointed Dr Jim Lalonde as its newest independent member of the company's board of directors.
"We are very pleased to welcome Jim to our board," said Dr Peter Seufer-Wasserthal, Willow's president and CEO in a statement. "Jim has developed stellar R&D teams behind some of the most key advancements in enzyme engineering and biocatalysis and, in the process, revolutionized a host of industries and processes while driving increased valuations for the businesses he has been associated with over his successful career.
"His guidance will be valuable to Willow as we continue to diversify our portfolio with new partners and customers, expand our R&D capabilities, and grow revenue further to support improved company valuation," the CEO added.
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Dr Lalonde previously served with Inscripta, a global leader in genome engineering technology, as the lead of its Microbial Digital Genome Engineering Business.
Prior to that, he was senior vice president of R&D at Codexis, Inc., a leader in protein engineering. In his nearly 15 years at Codexis he oversaw the development of more than 50 enzymes for drug manufacturing, nutrition, biotherapeutics, and molecular diagnostics. He also led the development of the company's pioneering CodeEvolver protein engineering technology which was licensed to major pharmaceutical companies.
Prior to Codexis, Dr Lalonde held leadership roles in biocatalysis and chemical development at Altus Biologics and in scientific research at Vista Chemical Company.
"I am excited to join the Willow board at such a pivotal time when I believe the company is on the cusp of significant growth with the ability to leverage a best-in-class precision fermentation technology platform to revolutionize the health and wellness, food and beverage and personal care markets," said Dr Lalonde.
"Willow's R&D team and platform capabilities are impressive, represent high value to partners seeking innovation in their portfolios, and I look forward to participating in the company's success in wielding it to bring sustainable products to market," he added.
Dr Lalonde serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of Bota Biosciences, a global industrial biotechnology company advancing sustainable biomanufacturing; Curie Co., which is utilizing state-of-the-art protein engineering to replace petrochemical-based preservatives with biobased alternatives within personal care; and Invizyne, a pioneer in streamlining synthetic biology with cell-free enzyme cascades, to produce a wide variety of high value and difficult to make target molecules.
Willow develops and produces precision fermented functional ingredients for the health and wellness, food and beverage and personal care markets. Its FutureGrown biotechnology platform allows large-scale production with sustainability at its core.
Willow's R&D team has a proven track record of developing and commercializing bio-based manufacturing processes and products to benefit its B2B partners and their customers.
Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com